This is for the first time in America's history that a Muslim has been elected to the congress, but Muslims from Africa had come in the thousands to work as slaves in the early eighteenth century. Today, many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the community. Muslims from the Middle East came to America during the nineteenth century. The twentieth century saw the arrival of several hundred thousand Muslims from Eastern Europe. The first Albanian mosque was opened in Maine in 1915. Somehow or other, American Muslim did not take part in politics.

The population in the United States is increasing every year because of the influx of foreign migrants. According to the Census Bureau, the population is expected to grow one percent in 2007. Therefore, the population will be around 200.8 million, of which the Muslim population will be about 7 million. The Muslim population is very little compared to other ethnic communities like Hispanic, for example. America has been a melting pot of foreign immigrants for many centuries. This county is multi-racial, embracing all faiths: Christian, Muslim, and Hindu, Jewish alike.

In the constitution, there is no discrimination against any religion. The first amendment in the constitution says that Congress shall make no law against establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The constitution says nothing about inaugural ceremonies, other than the words of the oath for the respective offices. No religious text is used during the swearing-in ceremony.

The statement in the press by Keith Ellison is uncalled for and which unnecessarily ignited controversy. Similarly, Congressman Virgil Goode has gone beyond his constitutional rights. In a letter to constituent, Congressman Virgil Goode wrote, "the election of Ellison and other Muslims poses a danger to the country." Representative Goode is of the opinion that "the election of Muslims endangered the values and traditional US beliefs." Goode goes on to say that if American citizens do not wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration, there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of Quran in their swearing-in ceremony. Goode also advocated a total stopping of illegal immigration, and reducing the number of legal immigrants into the country.

Popular Radio Talk show anchor, Dennis Prager, also criticized the comments by a Muslim Democrat representative. Prager is of the opinion that "use of Quran would undermine American civilization, and make us more vulnerable to terrorism." Apart from the constitutional point, it would be relevant to know that Presidents Roosevelt, John Quincy Adams, and Lyndon B Johnson had been sworn in without bible.

Ellison defeated two contenders in the Minnesota district of Minneapolis to become a member of the 435 seat House of Representatives, and made history as the first Muslim ever to be elected to the Congress. In response to Virgil Goode, Keith Ellison said, "there was nothing to fear. The fact that there are many different faiths, many different colours, and many different cultures in America is a great strength." Keith Ellison also spoke at the annual convention of two Muslim groups: the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America in Michigan, where he emphasized on the faith in Allah and urged Muslims to face any challenge bravely and with patience.

In the inauguration ceremony of the members of the House of Representatives for 11oth congress on January 4, Keith Ellison drew international attention by using Quran for taking an oath. The Quran that Keith used was owned by Thomas Jefferson, who was one of the founder fathers and the architect of the Constitution, and a towering figure in American democracy. Thomas Jefferson was the third president of America. Keith Ellison recited verses from Quran at a multi-faith prayer service conducted earlier which said: "Oh, humanity, we created you from a single pair, male and female, and made you tribes and nations so that you would know each other and not despise each other."

According to newspaper reports, the two volume Quran was printed in 1764, and is now held by the Library of Congress. Keith Ellison used Quran during re-enactment of his swearing-in ceremony with Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a photo-op. Keith Ellison said that Jefferson's Quran shows that, from the earliest times of this Republic, the Quran was in the consciousness of people who brought about democracy. Keith Ellison traced back his American ancestry to 1741.

According to Reuter news agency, much of Jefferson's collection was destroyed when the British burned the capital during the war of 1812, but Quran incidentally survived. It is an irony that Virgil Goode, who opposed using Quran during the oath taking ceremony, represents the area where Thomas Jefferson was born and lived.

However, both Virgil Goode and Keith Ellison shook hands on the house floor, and Virgil congratulated Keith on his election. Keith also invited Virgil to have coffee and discuss the controversial issue. As reported by the media, Virgil Goode would not change his stand. With some seven million Muslims in America, Islam is said to be fastest growing religion as a result of influx of immigrants, high birth rate and widespread conversion. After 9/11, American witnessed large segments of non-Muslims, particularly Hispanics who constitute 12.5 percent of the population, embrace Islam as their faith.

I was given to understand by some clerics that a large number of veteran warriors are embracing Islam in America. According to Muslim Educational and Cultural Council of America, an estimated seven thousand American soldiers from 1991 accepted Islam. The process of acceptance of Islam by non-Muslim American has begun, and it will continue.

Mohammad Amjad Hossain, former diplomat writes from Virginia.